Electric sign.



P. J. BERG ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, m1.

1;246,847. Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

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P. J. BERG.

ELECTRIC SIGN. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1917.

1 ,246,847. Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

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PAUL J. BERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Application filed February 14, 1917. Serial No. 148,681.

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, PAUL J. BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically-illuminated pictorial signs, and has for its especial object to provide a sign or emblem construction, adapted to be made in small sizes, susceptible of electrical self illumina- 'tion, and presenting in contrasting colors sharply defined portions or areas in arrangement attractive to the eye whether the sign be internally illuminated at night or extraneously illuminated. as by day-light.

Further objects of my invention are to provide structural features of simplicity, economy, durability and ease of repair securing commercial advantage for the structure.

The stated general objects I attain by the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims, and other and further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the fol.- lowing description and claims.

A flag may be taken as characteristic of a sign or emblem that it is desirable to display in colors and in form equally attractive and equally true as to color whether electrically energized for self illumination at night or deenergized for day-light display; and such emblematic form I have herein chosen for the illustration of a single embodiment of my invention for purposes of disclosure thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a flag constructed in accordance with my invention, with some of the design sections removed and others broken away.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on llne 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a rear elevation with parts broken away showing the wiring arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified construction susceptible of employment where the emblem is to be flashed.

The characteristic display-portions of the flag, or other emblem or sign, are afiorded by the exterior surfaces of lamp-tubes 10. These are conformingly shaped on desired lines so that jointly they present outwardly a field of desired contour (shaped like a waving flag in the specific instance shown) ridged according to the sectional curvatures 11 of the lamp tubes 10, as shown in Fig. 3, but substantially uninterrupted in face presentation. Thirteen of these conforming tubes, laid in close contact, are shown as following the curvatures of the thirteen stripes of an American flag. Another straight tube 10 extending across the ends of the stripe-tubes, represents the flag staff. The glass surfaced, ridged fieldthus provided has surface-coloring applied to its outer portions or crests of the tube-ridges where desired, either by incorporation of the color in the nature or construction of the glass or by application of stain to the glass. Thus such portions of the glass tubes as represent red stripes, r, and such portions of the field as represent the blue area, b, of the flag may be superficially colored throughout their outwardly presented extent with a suitable stain s, and, the white stripes to and the stars to be represented may be colored by whitepainting the glass surfaces or, moredcsirably, by grinding or frosting the glass.

Tn daylight aspects the emblem or sign presents complete uninterrupted color areas, ridged by reason of the tubular. construction of the constituent parts, having its areas of contrasting colors sharply defined, not only because of the uninterrupted nature of the color surface areas, but also because, in part at least, the valleys between contacting tubes extend, as nearlyas may be convenient and feasible, conformingly with the lines of demarcation between differently colored areas. In this respect of artistic and pleasing appearance under extraneous light, embodiments of my invention are advantageously differentiated from that class of display devices wherein electric lamp bulbs project from the surface of colored fields, for whether they be themselves colored or plain, such protruding lamp-bulbs detract seriously from the daylight appearance of the display.

Each of the lamp tubes, thin walled and preferably air-exhausted, contains a multiplicity of filaments, l t-14, that may be regularly spaced and at relatively short intervals so that when they are energized the rim tube is internally self-illuminated, the light showing through the colored glassquite uniformly throughout the length of the tube. It is, indeed, preferable that while the coloring of the tube should be quite translucent, it should yet be dense enough substantially to obscure the shape of the filament when the lamp is lighted, as thereby very pleasing approximation of uniformity of color, as to each colored area, is secured. In this regard embodiments of my invention advantageously dilferentiate such illuminated signs and emblems as I have known wherein, either, the illumination is due to lamps protruding from the field of a. carrying frame or is supplied by lamps that are inclosed in a box in rear of transparency bearing the design. In the first mentioned instance continuity of color, and definiteness of color areas are not as fully attained as in my construction while in the latter type of construction ghosts or dark spots are practically always to be found.

It will be observed in my novel type of construction that preferably only the crest surfaces of the tubes should be colored, the glass of the tube-sides being thus left clear or transparent for passage of li ht from one tube to another laterally, and also it is sometimes desirable that the filaments be arranged so that they do not aline or register laterally in different tubes. These refinements are not essential but will aid in insuring that the finished product, when internally illuminated, offers a substantially uniform illumination of all of the areas of sharply contrasting colors.

Embodiments of my invention as above outlined may be made in various forms, but for specific advantage I make each individual tube separably detachable and replaceable and so provide that all thereof be assembled and retained with respect to a carrying frame in an arrangement facilitating manufacture of the separate parts as well as readiness of repair or replacement, and attaining both cheapness and ruggedness. Specifically indicates a sheet metal frame having side walls end-united to constitute a continuous border of suitable design, this border-frame being covered by a back plate 21 and its front filled with the tubes. The back-plate is preferably removable, and slidingly fits on the inturned flanges 22 provided on all but one of the sides of the border frame. Screw 23 taking through holes in the plate and into the lugs 24 carried by the appropriate border wall may secure the removable back plate in place against accidental displacement.

Spaced apart from the back plate 21 in order to leave the wiring-and-contact-receptive chamber 26 I provide an insulating base plate 27 secured, as by screws 28, to cars 29 riveted as at 30 to the border frame,

this plate having openings 31 wherever necessary to admit the lamp-tube contacts. On theunder side of this insulating base 1 provide two contact bars 32 and 33 each having suitable openings 3% to receive the contact clips of the lamp tubes. Each lamp tube is carried on a squared insulating block 35 of plaster of Paris or the like in which is embedded, near opposite ends, a pair of spring clips as 36, 37, (Fig. 2) connected respectively to opposite ends of the conductor wire 38 that includes in series therein the various filaments 14, such clip-pairsbeing arranged to extend through the appropriate receptive openings 31 in the insulating base 27, and into good electrical contact and lamp-tuberetaining engagement with the lips of the openings 34 in contact plates 32 and 33 respectively.

Gf course, where desired or expedient, individual contact platesmay be provided on the insulating base, as in the case of the plates 32 and 33 that coact with the contact clips of the straight lamp tube representing a flag staff. Feed wires 40 running in through the back plate and respectively to the contact plates 32, 32 and 33, 33 supply current to the lamp filaments.

It will be obvious that any lamp tube may be removed by simply withdrawing its spring clips from the contact plates so that renewals of tubes may be most readily ac complished.

Where it is desired to flash such a flag sign as that particularly illustrated, in order to give the optical illusion of waving of the flag, the lamp filaments may be increased in number and appropriate ones thereof arranged in two series that are in multiple to each other, in such arrangement that when either series of the filaments is illuminated a. complete and uniform illumination of the tubes is not attained but shadow zones are left with diminished illumination the shifting of these shadow zones due to the alternate lighting of the two series of lamps producing the well known illusion of waving of the flag. A construction to this end is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5, there being under said circumstances threecontact plates 83, 32 and 32 and three spring clips on each lamp tube as shown, arranged in electrically obvious relation to the circuit that include flasher or commutator 35) which causes alternate energization and deenergization of each filament circuit.

While I have herein described specifically a particular embodiment of my invention some details whereof I mav claim for their particular advantages, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that in its broader aspects my invention is not restricted to forms or details of construction shown, but may be embodied in constructions widely differing specifically from that herein illustrated, without departure from the spirit of my invention and Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim is 1. A sign or emblem adapted for both internal electrical illumination and daylight display comprising, a plurality of extensive lamp tubes, and lighting means therein, some of said lamp tubes being colored as to their outwardly presented surfaces and conformingly shaped and arranged in close proximity for definition of contrasting color areas coinciding in part with the contour of the tubes.

2. A sign or emblem adapted for both internal electrical illumination and daylight display comprising, a plurality of extensive lamp tubes, a plurality of filaments in each said tube, some of said lamp tubes being colored as to their outwardly presented surfaces and conformingly shaped and arranged in close proximity for definition of contrasting color areas coinciding in part with the contour of the tubes.

3. An electrically illuminable sign or emblem comprising a plurality of lamp tubes conformingly shaped jointly to present a ridged but substantially uninterrupted field of glass, certain of said tubes being colored as to their outwardly-exposed surfaces for presentation of contrasting color areas terminating in the valleys be tween the tubes, and means within the lamp tubes for illuminating them.

4. An electrically illuminable sign or emblem comprising a plurality of lamp tubes conformingly shaped jointly to present a ridged but substantially uninterrupted field of glass, certain of said tubes being colored as to their outwardly-exposed surfaces for presentation of contrasting color areas terminating in the valleys between the tubes, said tubes having lateral portions uncolored for lateral distribution of light from tube to tube, and means Within the lamp tubes for illuminating them.

5. The combination of an insulated base, a plurality of conforming lamp tubes mounted on said insulated base and jointly providin a substantially continuous field, each of said lamp tubes having a multiplicity of filaments therein, and certain of said tubes being contrastingly colored on their exposed surfaces.

6. The combination of an insulating base carrying fixed electrical contact members, means of current supply thereto, a plurality of elongated lamp tubes each containing a multiplicity of filaments, and plural contact means on the several lamp tubes spaced apart longitudinally on the tubes and each comprising a portion for engaging the fixed contact devices to retain the tube on the base.

7. The combination of a border frame, an insulating base connected therewith anda plurality of conforming lamp-tubes mounted on the base and jointly providing a substantially continuous field filling the border, each of said lamp tubes having a multiplicity of connected filaments therein, and some of said tubes being colored contrastingly With others as to their exposed surfaces.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

PAUL J. BERG.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

